What is BitTorrent ?

June 15, 2007 — Nikesh

BitTorrent is a leading Peer 2 Peer file distribution protocol. It is a network system for the download of movies, software, music and other large files over the Internet. It’s peer 2 peer nature enables users to connect to each other directly to send and receive portions of the file. There is a tracker which coordinates the action of all such peers. The ideology of BitTorrent is that users should upload (transmit outbound) at the same time they are downloading (receiving inbound.) which ensures that the network bandwidth is utilized as efficiently as possible.

The BitTorrent network is designed to support simultaneous upload and download involving many people, also referred to as “swarms.” Its efficient network bandwidth utilization makes BitTorrent an ideal choice for those looking to download a large movie file, music file, or open software package that is currently being shared on the Internet.